Apparatus for pickling or washing metal



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

G. MESTA. APPARATUS POR PIGKLING 0R WASHING METAL.

No. 586,858. Patented July 20, 1897.

Tm: nonms vzfz'ys co, wow-uma.. wAsNmaToN, u. L

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. MESTA. APPARATUS FOR PIGKLING 0R WASHING METAL.

No. 586,858. Patented July 20, 1897.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet-. G. MESTA. APPARATUS FOR PIGKLING 0R WASHINGMETAL.

Patented July 20, 189'?.

INVENTOR co, moroumo.. wAsHmswN. u. c.

'UNiTnD STATES PATENT Ormea.

GEORGE MESTA, OF PlT'lSIURG, PENNSYLVANIA. i

APPARATUS FOR PICKLING OR WASHING METAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of vLetters Patent No. 586,858, dated July20, 189'?.

Application tiled March 12, 1896. Serial No. 582,939. (No model.)

To LZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE MESTA, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Metal Picklin g or vWashing Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a full,

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in whichh Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improved apparatus shown as if in section on theline I I of Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow so. Fig. 2is an end elevation shown as if in section on the line II Il of Fig. 1and viewed in the direction of the arrow gj. Fig. 3 is a detail Viewshowing in front elevation one of the racks for upholding the metalplates. Fig. it is a sectional side elevation thereof. Figs. 5 and 6 areviews of a modified construction of the racks. Fig. 7 is a top plan viewof the apparatus, and Sis a sectional detail of a spline connection Ie1nploy.

The purpose of my invention is to provide means for pickling and washingmetal plates, pipes,&c. by agitating them in suitable baths, and it isespecially adapted to the handling of long pieces which because of theirinconvenient size have heretofore been hard to han dle and have beentreated by hand labor, an operation which is not only difiicult butdangerous.

2, 3, and 3 are respectively the tanks for holding the baths of acid,water, and alkaline solution in which the metal to be pickled issuccessively washed. A greater or less number of tanks may be used, asneeded. These tanks are of suitable length and depth and are set side byside, so that the metal to be treated after having been agitated in onetank can be moved to and agitated in the next tank in succession.

The apparatus for agitating the metal in what I believe to be the bestform adapted to the practice of my invention is constructed as follows:

a 4, Fig. 1, are the elevated track-rails of a traveling crane, whichare arranged at right angles to and above the tanks.

5 is the jib or platform of the crane, supported by wheels G on therails and having,

preferably, also axles 7, connecting the wheels on the opposite sides,and pinions 8 on the aXles in gear with racks 9, which extend beside therails and serve to render uniform the travel of the wheels at each endof the axles. One of the axles may be rotated and the jib moved on itstrack by means of a chain and sprocket-wheel 7', as shown in Fig. 1, orotherwise. On the jib 5 is a crank-shaft 10, journaled in suitablebearings 11 and having at the end a worin-wheel 12 in gear with a worm13 on a shaft let, which extends parallel to the rails, the worm being'fitted on the shaft with a feather-and-spline connection, so that as thejib is moved on the track the worm shall move therewith, that theworin-wheel shall be, therefore, in constant traveling connection withthe shaft 11i, and that by rotation of the latter the crank-shaft l0 maybe roe tated in any position of the j ib.

15 15 are cross-heads suspended by connecting-rods from the cranks 16 ofthe shaft 10 between Vertical guides 17 on the jib, so that if thecrank-sh aft be rotated these cross-heads will reciprocate vertically.The cross-heads are connected by a shaft 18, carrying drums 19, fromwhich depend chains or hangers 20, which support the racks 21, by whichthe metal pieces to be pickled are carried. The shaft- 18 can be rotatedby a shaft 22, which, by a traveling worin 23, worni-wheel 24, andgearing 25, is connected with the shaft 18. The gearing has afeatlier-and-spline connection with the shaft 25', so that the drums maybe rotated during the reciprocation of the cross-heads. The shafts 1land 22 are operatively connected by pulleys la' and 22 and belt 30. Byrotation of the shaft 18 the chains 2O may be wound upon or unwound fromthe drums and the racks 21 raised or lowered accordingly. These racksare of novel construction. Each consists of a comblike metal framehaving parallel vertical bars connected at the top, but separated at thebottom and throughout their length, and at their lower ends made of hookform or provided with lateral holes in line with each other, as shown inFig. a. By the word slot in the claims I intend to cover the barsprovided with the slots, whether said slots are open at the side orentirely inclosed in the IOO by rotating .the shaft 18.

form of holes through the bars. There is a suitable number of theseracks, according to the length of the metal pieces to be treated. I showthree of them in the drawings.

In using the apparatus for pickling metal plates the plates are set onedge parallel to each other in a suitable stationary rack 2G, having abase 3l, as shown in Fig. 2. The jib is moved on its track, so as tocarry the racks directly above the plates, and by rotating the shaft 18the chains 2O are unwound, so as to lower the racks and to cause thecomb-like arms thereof to lit between the several plates and the hookends of the arms to pass below the lower edges of the plates. Aretainingbar 27 is then put in the hooks of each rack, and when t-heracks are raised the lower edges of the plates will rest upon said barsand the plates will be supported thereby edgewise in vertical position,as shown by full lines in Fig. 2. rlhe jib is then moved on its track,so as to carry the racks into position directly above the acid-tank 2.The shaft 18 is then rotated so as to lower the racks with the platescarried thereby into the liquid in the tank, and then by setting thecrank-shaft IO into motion the cross-heads are caused to reciprocatevertically and the plates are moved up and down within the liquid, thussubjecting them to the desired agitation.

lVhen the plates have been acted upon by the acid for a sufficientlength of time, the racks with the plates are raised from the tank Thejib is then moved so as to carry the racks over the watertank 3, intowhich they are lowered and in which they are agitated, as abovedescribed, and then in like manner they are raised from the water-tankand carried to and agitated in the third tank 4L, containing the lime orother alkaline solution. After this final washing the plates, dac., maybe carried by the crane to a rest-block or support 28, elevated somewhatabove .the licor-level, and deposited thereupon, so that their loweredges will be held above the bars 27. These bars are then removed fromthe hooks, leaving the racks free to be lifted clear of the plates. The

plates will then lie upon the support 28, asA

shown in Fig 2.

Where pipes or bars are to be washed or pickled, I employ racks modifiedas shown in Figs. 5 and G, in which the bars of the racks areseperatedsufficiently to receive the pipes or bars between them, andthey are upheld therein in several rows or series by retainingbars 27',fitting in holes or hooks, as shown.

Vithin the scope of my claims many vchanges may be made in the form andconstruction of the parts. For example, instead of a rotary shaft foragitating the racks I may use a reciprocating rod with bell-crank leverscon* nect'ed therewith and oscillated thereby, or other like mechanism,although the construction which I have shown has many peculiaradvantages and is claimed specifically herein.

Important features of the invention are the combination of the cranewith tanks set parallel to the jib thereof and mechanism on the jib forreciprocating the plates vertically, and also the racks for holding theplates, which may be used with pickling apparatus of other constructionand which are of advantage because of there lightness and ease ofmanagement and the ready access of liquid to the plates which theyaiford.

By'the use of the crane-jib with the plates suspended therefrom by twoor more supports,

the plates extending parallel to the jib and the tanks also parallel tothe jib or to the position which the jib occupies when over the same, Iam enabled to treat long pieces with ease and safety. I am the first tomake use of this construction, and I claim it broadly, whether atraveling crane or a swinging crane be employed. In prior devices themetal pieces have been suspended crosswise of the jib.

My improved mechanism may be duplis cated in a single apparatus, the twoparts be ing adapted to operate reciprocally and to balance each other.

I claiml. In metal pickling or washing apparatus, the combination withan overhead wheeled carrier arranged to move horizontally in parallellines, of conveying mechanism thereon having means for supporting longsheets or strips at two or more points in their length, tanks locatedbeneath the carrier in its path of travel and substantially parallel toeach other, agitating apparatus mounted on the carrier, said apparatusbeing arranged to give the sheets or strips an agitatory motion in thetanks, and mechanism on the carrier for lowering the sheets into andraising them out of the tanks 3 said mechanism being independent `of theagitating apparatus substantially as described.

2. The combination with an overhead travelin g crane, of parallel tankslocated beneath the same and in its line of travel, conveying mechanismon the crane having means for supporting long sheets or strips at two ormore points in their length, agitating apparatus upon the crane arrangedto give a vertical motion tov the sheets while in the tank, a shaftextending longitudinally of the path of travel of the crane and havingcontinuous actuating connections with the agitating apparatus, and meansupon the crane for lowering the sheets into and raising them out of thetanks; substantially as described.

3. In metal pickling and washing apparatus, the combination with atraveling carrier, of reciprocatory cross-heads thereon, means forreciprocating the cross-heads and drums carried therebyan d carrying thesupports for the metal; substantially as described.

4. In metal pickling or washing apparatus, the combination with atraveling carrier, of reciprocatory cross-heads thereon, means forreciprocating the cross-heads, drums carried thereby and carrying thesupports for the metal, and gearing for rotating the drums,

IOO

IIO

said gearing having a vertical shaft provided With a travelingconnection with means for actuating it; substantially as described.

5. In metal pickling or Washing apparatus, the combination With atraveling carrier, of a crank-shaft mounted thereon and having atraveling connection with its actuating means, drums carried byreciprocatory cross-heads connected With the crank-shaft, said drumshaving supports for the metal, and means for rotating said drums tolower the metal into and raising it out of the tanks; substantially asdescribed.

my hand.

GEO. MESTA. NVitnesse THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, F. E. GAI'ri-IER.

www

